Bluehour (A Watermagic Novel) (22 page)

“If she can’t have you, then neither can
anyone else.”

He nodded. “I would have married her; I was
just apathetic about it. I told her my lack of feelings weren’t
personal to her, but a result of my repulsion for mers as a
species. It didn’t matter that she was beautiful. She was a monster
and so was I. Ideologically, we were everything that I despised. I
couldn’t love her when I couldn’t love myself.”

“But she didn’t get it.”

He shook his head. “No. Now that she was a
mer, her vanity was too strong. Any sort of romantic rejection was
intolerable.”

“What about Ms. Josette Bellerose?” I
asked.

“She was paired with a mer from another
school, but when we became vegetarians, so to speak, he refused to
come to our side. I think Josette is still in love with him. But
she disagrees. Only maybe twenty years ago or so, she married a
human man.”

My eyes widened. “Do they have children?”

“They have a daughter about your age. She
takes turns living with her human family in Laguna Beach and with
us posing as our chaperone.”

“How long have you been land dwellers?”

“Since the 1730s. We only lived with the
ancients for about two years before migrating to land. Because we
are immortals and never age beyond the age of our conversions, we
can only live in a community for so long. Eventually, people start
to wonder why we never grow older. When that happens, we have to
leave.”

“Why did you come to Santa Monica High as
exchange students? Isn’t the point to stay in one place for as long
as you can?”

“You’re right. Exchange students usually
visit a school for one year. Our plan was to come as exchange
students and then apply for residency. We have no intension of
going back to France.”

I smiled at that. He got off the bed and
walked over to the windows.

“I want to take you for a night swim,” he
whispered. His eyes looked sad and mysterious.

But before I had a chance to respond, he
swept me up into his arms and carried me to the big French windows.
My eyes were wide with fear, but I thrilled at his touch.

1. Beautiful
   

Laurent opened the windows with me in his
arms. “Here, thread your legs under my arms on either side as we
make our way down.

My adrenaline was rushing as he easily turned
my body around and held me up. I put my legs under his arms and
folded them around his back. It was more than exciting being that
close to him and feeling light as air in his strong grasp.

“Hold on.” He started to climb out of the
window. We weren’t so high up, but still it was quite a drop that
could easily break bones.

“I could fall,” I stammered.

“Trust me.” He arched way back so that I
wouldn’t touch the building with my body.

The suctions above his pelvis and his strong
legs maneuvered us down the log house while his back curved away
from the structure, falling and then clinging to the wood
intermittently until we were at the ground. It happened so fast
that I wasn’t even able to protest.

He lowered me to the sand now that we were on
the shore. I sort of wobbled as I tried to catch my breath. “Whoa,”
I breathed. “That was incredible!”

“Now for the fun part,” he said, the
moonlight shining on his shadowed body. “I’m taking you for a night
swim.”

I trembled at the thought, remembering how
last time in his pool I couldn’t breathe so deep down. “I’m not
allowed in the ocean,” I whispered. “My dad doesn’t allow it.” My
heart ached at the thought of my family and how worried they must
have been.

He placed his cool hand on the side of my
face. “Don’t be afraid, Grace. You are my life now. I won’t let
anything happen to you.”

My body rushed with feelings at his touch, at
his words. “I want to go with you, but I’m afraid because I can’t
breathe under water.”

His expression was warm and beautiful. “Now
that I can touch you, if we remain connected, you will receive all
the oxygen you need. Just hold my hand. You can touch any part of
my body and the transfer will take place for as long as you desire.
Touch will protect you from the water pressures also. Even upon
separation, the effects will last for a short period of time.”

“Really?” My eyes lit up.

“Yes.” He took my hand and led me to the
ocean.

The water was chilly, but I adjusted quickly.
I felt safe with Laurent as we waded through the waves with our
heads above the dark water.

“Why don’t your legs turn into a fish tail in
the water like the mers in the movies?” I asked.

He pulled me up against his body and we were
chest to chest, just the bodice of my soaked yellow sundress
between us. “Converts keep their legs, but grow webbed feet. Mers
from birth have fish tails.”

We gazed up at the starry sky. It was
beautiful. The big dipper was in full view.

“Look how the starlight dances on the black
water,” he murmured.

“It’s perfect. So breathtaking.”

“You ready to go under?”

I nodded, scared, yet excited.

As we dove under, we held hands. Being in his
comfortable grasp gave me some security. Laurent swam slowly enough
beside me so I could keep up. Everything was pitch black and I
couldn’t see a thing. In many ways this was the scariest experience
of my life. Swimming endlessly in the dark. I couldn’t breathe
under the water, but somehow I didn’t feel the urge to. Apparently,
oxygen and carbon dioxide were exchanging between us without any
inhalations or exhalations.

We swam deeper and deeper in the sheer black
water. The farther down we went, the more terrified I became. I
held to Laurent’s hand tightly. Aside from the rush of water over
our bodies, there was complete silence. I kept worrying what sorts
of sea creatures were around us. Were we being watched? Could I be
consumed by a shark or even an octopus at any moment? If Laurent
let go of my hand, I would surely die. After a short while, just
the water pressure alone would be enough to crush my body. But,
somehow, in his grasp, I was safe.

I felt something brush past my legs. With a
start, a scream shot out of my throat.

“Don’t be frightened,” Laurent whispered
calmly. “It’s only seaweed.”

I was shocked that I could hear him under
water. His whispery voice came across perfectly clear. How could
that be?

“Watch this.” His eyebrow lifted.

But before I had a chance to respond, if I
even could, his actions pulled my attention entirely.

In a sudden shift of light, his free hand
raised above the edge of a field of dark sea grass that was now
lighting up in many colors progressively in a way that appeared to
be of his own doings. The beauty was magnificent as the now
colorful plant life swayed upon the ocean floor.

“How did you do that?” I asked, shocked, yet
thrilled that I could speak perfectly under water as well.

“The power of plant manipulation,” he
murmured lightly. “You didn’t think mers were doomed to a life of
utter darkness, did you?”

“I guess I never thought about it.” I felt so
strange speaking freely at the bottom of the ocean. We swam through
the colorful fields that lit up as we approached. There were
beautiful sea anemone and fluorescent sea plants.

“Though we can talk, we should speak as
little as possible.” His voice was still in a whisper.

“Why is that?” I whispered back.

“Sound carries far in the ocean and I don’t
want Sabine to pick up on our vibrations.”

A shiver ran through my body and in fear, I
didn’t respond. The thought of being overtaken by a predator
frightened me into silence. I was out of my element entirely.

Laurent led me to an amazing coral reef. We
swam through its archways and tunnels as he lit the way. I had
never seen such beauty. I think he was enhancing the colors and
vibrancy with his powers. We saw bright orange starfish, purple sea
urchins, and impressive exotic fish of varying types. There were
even crabs and a huge sea snail with a decorative shell.

Laurent looked at me and smiled brightly. I
think he was pleased to see the huge grin on my face as we
swam.

“Let’s go back,” he whispered as he led me
out of the coral reef and back though the fields of many colors.
This time in the darkness, I felt safer knowing we would rise out
of the water soon. We broke the surface and the air rushed back
into my lungs.

I was breathing normally now. The transition
was sudden, but a relief. I was glad to feel the air circulating
familiarly through my body as I was accustomed.

“That was incredible,” I laughed. “I’m still
in shock.”

His smile was bigger than I had ever seen. He
seemed so very happy. “I wanted to share my world with you for so
long.”

“Really?” My face looked surprised. It was
still difficult for me to believe that Laurent took such an
interest in a plain, simple girl like me.

“Yes, of course. I’ve dreamt of it.” He was
looking up at the stars with his head tilted back. “There is so
much more to show you.”

My eyes widened.

“In good time,” he whispered. “Come, let’s go
back to our room.”

By the time we got back to the bed and
breakfast, I was exhausted. I had never swum so much in my life.
Laurent wrapped me in a big fluffy towel and I sat down on the
bed.

“You want to take a hot shower?” he
suggested.

I yawned, trying to hold my eyelids open.
“I’m afraid of that sea snake in there.”

He laughed. The last thing I remember was
looking at his beautiful golden face with a touch of mystery in his
eyes, wondering how in the world I got so lucky to be with him.
“Maybe in a minute,” I mumbled as I lay my damp head of hair down
on the pillow. And then I must have fallen asleep without saying
another word.

***

When I woke up in the morning my yellow
sundress was crusty against my body with dried saltwater from the
night before. I could only imagine what a mess I must have looked
like. The sheer drapes were drawn from the French windows and the
slightest sea breeze was blowing in causing the curtains to flutter
lightly.

I heard movement in the bathroom. The water
was running in the sink and there was a bit of a clatter. My
curiosity was more than peeked. I could only wonder what Laurent
could possibly be doing in there. It sounded like he was washing
dishes.

Then I heard humming, mixed trills, squeaks,
and clicks. The rendition was fascinating, but so different than
any song I had ever heard. And the voice sounded feminine.
Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open and Brigitte glided into the
bedroom with a silver tray of food.

“Breakfast time,” she chanted as she carried
the platter to the table by the French windows. With a cheery smile
on her picturesque face, she looked at me, “Laurent put me on duty
to watch you while he’s hunting Sabine.” Her voice was sing songy,
beautiful, but I sensed she was agitated. Her nostrils were
slightly flared and I felt she was trying to keep a distance from
me. I could only assume that she was hungry and that I smelled
better than her meal.

I moved away a little closer to the bed. She
was looking as gorgeous as ever with her long black hair full and
in ringlets. Her outfit fascinated me. She wore an eighteenth
century French aristocratic style bodice displaying a hint of
cleavage hidden beneath strings of pearls and other fine jewels
hanging from her neck. I could see her swim trunks under the sheer
fabric of her genie pants and her webbed feet were bare upon the
floor.

All of a sudden there was a knock at the
door. My body stiffened. I could only wonder who was there.

“Don’t worry,” Brigitte sang and then bit
down hard on her lip. “I felt his vibrations all the way from the
woods. It’s only the delivery guy. I ordered breakfast for
you.”

She slipped on a pair of ornamental slippers
presumably to hide her webbed feet and answered the door.

“Delivery,” the young tall man clad in dress
pants and a dress shirt with bowtie said.

Brigitte stared at him hungrily for a moment.
“
Entrer
,” she almost whispered, her French accent smooth and
low as she directed him into the room. I felt like she was pacing
his every movement and counting.

The guy placed a pile of fancy boxes of
sustenance on the table. He squinted and then his eyes widened at
the platter that Brigitte had set out with her own food. I walked
over to take a closer look. There was a slab of raw meat and sliced
black and white striped sea snake on china plates with various
gourmet dipping sauces in saucers to the sides. But odder than that
was a large shapely jar with live shrimp moving around in cocktail
sauce. The man cleared his throat and drew a blank expression.

Brigitte paid him presumably well because his
unreadable expression changed to a smile as he thanked her and left
quickly.

“I hope you don’t mind that I took the
liberty of ordering for you,” she said as she pulled a chair out
for me at the table on the far side, a considerable distance from
her seat.

I sat down. “That’s very nice of you,” I
mumbled awkwardly. “I usually just eat a muffin or some
cereal.”

“Oh, good.” Her voice lifted up to a
surprising high pitch. “You’re in for a treat then.” She pushed the
stack of fancy boxes at me sending them sliding fast across the
table.

I had to stand up to stop them from sliding
right off and onto the floor.

“Oops,” she giggled. Sometimes I don’t know
my own strength.

“Are you stronger than a human?” I asked,
sitting back down in my chair.

After placing a napkin across her lap, she
opened the shapely glass jar and stabbed a shrimp with a silver
cocktail fork and placed the moving thing daintily in her mouth.
“Mers who eat humans are exorbitantly strong, but vegetarians like
us are much weaker. Though we are usually stronger than most humans
even on our strict diets.”